This invention is in the field of cutting or slotting devices for stone, marble and similar material. In particular, this invention concerns stone cutting or slotting apparatus that use a reciprocating cutting blade.
Cutting and removing stone from the earth is an ancient art. Within the last one and a half centuries, various motor-driven machines have been formulated to facilitate man's ability to extract large, single pieces of stone from the earth. The object of these various devices is often to increase the length of the cutting device so as to enable larger blocks of stone to be cut. In addition, a further object has been to cut the stone as quickly and easily as possible.
Some of the various apparatus of the prior art utilize a heavy chisel that is dropped onto the stone with a great force thereby cracking the stone. Other apparatus utilize a rotating belt having stone cutting elements mounted thereon. Still another such apparatus employs a rotating arbor mounted on a reciprocating frame. The patent to Slomito, U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,972, is indicative of such a stone slotting machine.
There is a need for a new improved machine for cutting slots into stone that has a sufficiently long cutting element to enable large blocks of stone to be cut. Moreover, the improved machine should be able to cut the stone in a variety of orientations. That is, the new machine should have the capability of making horizontal as well as vertical slots into the stone which is to be removed from the earth.